Are women in science any better off than in Ada Lovelace’s day? | Jess Wade

In recognition of the fact that their obituary pages had been dominated by white men, in 2018 the New York Times published an obituary of the Countess Ada Lovelace. Alongside Grace Hopper and Katherine Johnson, Lovelace has become an icon for women in technology. So much so that the second Tuesday in October is recognised internationally as Ada Lovelace Day. But what would a modern-day Lovelace make of the situation for women working in science today?

Lovelace was from a wealthy background; her father was the poet Lord” – her well-connected parents meant her mentors and advisers were members of the British scientific elite, including the polymaths and . Her extraordinary insight was the product of an interdisciplinary and inspiring education from world-renowned experts, and she would have been appalled at how modern Britain has . Her childhood allowed her to recognise the poetry in mathematics and the beauty of computation. The scientific learning of Lovelace gave her immense clarity and forward thought. She might have been surprised to find out that 170 years later, the government has cut funding to arts education to such an extent that it is . I’m pretty sure that she wouldn’t be happy that we force young people to specialise in one subject at the age of 18.